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Prologue: Awakening578 words
A Visitor from Afar3,159 words
Scootaloo's Grove3,513 words

Scootaloo's Grove

Confusion clouded the cozy hollow as the six friends looked upon the downed pegasus. Each of their minds were swimming with questions. Who was this? Where did he come from? Why did he crash here? How did he get injured so badly?
Minutes of perplexing silence passed before a single, meek voice filled the room.

"M-maybe somepony should help him?" Fluttershy's voice, naturally a whisper, was even quieter in the dead silence of the hollow residence. Dash tried to speak, but her voice was little more than a squeak, much like a scolded filly’s. Finally, Twilight spoke.

"Fluttershy, find us some herbs. We need to dress his wounds. Dash, go find the Doctor, Looks like he may have to make a house call."
Without hesitation, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew into the cold embrace of the night. With Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy rushing to complete Twilights request, Twilight found herself left with a terrified Rarity, two inquisitive ponies and an unconscious stranger to deal with.

This night isn’t going the way I planned at all. Twilight thought. Twilight was always a stickler for her plans going by the book, and this was as far from the book as she could imagine. Twilight's thoughts were interrupted by the calm and caring voice of Applejack.

"I...uh. I reckon we should try to clear some of the debris around him, and get some more light in this here room.
With slight hesitation, Twilight nodded in agreement, while Rarity was still clinging on to Spike's side. Twilight and Applejack started to move bits of glass and splintered wood from the pegasus' crash site. The pedestal he had crashed into was nearly destroyed and glass bits were spread around the stranger in vast quantities. Shards all sizes were imbedded in his sides, wings and flank. Remarkably, none of the shards seems to have penetrated deep enough to cause any real damage, despite their size.
As Twilight and Applejack cleared the last of the debris, Dash and the Doctor had arrived.

"Evening ladies." His voice seemingly absent of any true worry or concern. That all changed the second the doctor saw the crash-landed pegasus.

"Evening Doctor." Twilight said silently. Unlike the doctor, Twilight’s had voice betrayed her efforts to conceal her concern.

"W-what...what happened?" The doctor’s voice was truly in awe. Spending his life in Ponyville, the doctor was not used to seeing anything more than a broken leg or a maimed wing. His eyes stared in confusion and wonder at his new-found patient. The twisted, mangled mess of pony was a sight the doctor had never prepared himself for.

"We don’t really know he just kinda...landed here. We were all just sitting here enjoyed the evening and the he just crashed in my living room."
"I've seen some great crashes before by Rainbow Dash but this was truly the best crash yet!" Pinkie Pie's voice squeak loudly into the silent room. Dash shot Pinkie a disapproving look at the irritating comment. "What? Sometimes you crash Rainbow, he just crashed....better."

"Pinkie." Dash said sternly "Now isn't the time, he could be seriously hurt, and you're making jokes at his expense?"
Pinkie's mane flattened and her eyes grew large and her normally bright demeanor left her.

"Rainbow, she's just trying to lighten the mood. It's how she deals with things like this. Leave her be." Twilight's voice had a hint of disdain. She didn’t like speaking this way with her friend but Dash’s inconsideration for Pinkie Pie's feelings was simply insulting.
Dash simply rolled her eyes.

"Fine excuse me for actually being worried that he might have been seriously hurt!" Dash rushed outside into the cool, night air. She had to get away from everypony. Fluttershy was trotting into the home as Dash rudely push her aside. Dash didn’t seem to notice her, but that didn’t mean her actions didnt't hurt Fluttershy any less. Fluttershy’s sensitive soul was easily hurt, especially by a life-long friend like Rainbow Dash. She sniffed back tears as she brought the herbs into the library.

Applejack sighed and shook her head. "Don't worry Twi, I'll go talk to her. You stay here and take care of Fluttershy and Pinkie." Applejack quickly trotted off in pursuit of her hot headed friend.
Fluttershy awkwardly handed the herbs to the doctor, who proceeded to set them in is saddlebags. The doctor walked closer to his patient. He noticed the massive, smoking wound on the patient's side.

"That’s odd." He muttered to himself. “I’ve never seen a wound like that before.”

"Like what? Fluttershy inquired.

“This wound on his side. To be honest, it looks like a lightning strike!" The doctor’s voice was full of bewilderment at the thought of a pony being struck by lightning and surviving. "But...where could he have been struck?" Almost on cue, a bright flash from the corner of the doctor’s eye answered all of his questions. A few seconds later a muffled rumble rolled across Ponyville. "Exquisite! This pony was struck by a bolt of lightning in the Everfree forest and crash-landed here."

From the corner of the room came a shaky voice. "Well is he going to be alright?" Rarity, finally free from the clutches of fear was able to participate in the conversation.

"I don't know." The doctor admitted. "He seems to be fine, minus the mark on his back, his heart rate is normal, he's breathing without trouble, and I can't see any profuse bleeding. To be frank, he looks like he just took a good fall. I won't know till the morning when, or if he wakes up."

"So what do we do now?" Pinkie Pie squeaked.

"Well, I don’t feel comfortable moving him to the hospital in his condition. I can’t see if he's broken anything and I don’t want to risk it."

Twilight looked from the Pegasus to her loft. "Well, could we at least move him to there?" Twilight was pointing to her loft on the upper floor.

The doctor nodded in response. "Just be very careful, we don't know how badly he's hurt. Just let me apply these herbs first. We don’t want the wound getting infected." Carefully, the doctor crushed the herbs into a paste and applied the green mixture to the burn wound on the Pegasus' side. Shockingly, the Pegasus twitched when the pastel mixture touched his bare wound. He gave a slight groan of pain before falling back to unconsciousness. "At least he's responsive, that’s a good sign." The doctor said hopefully. "Now let’s get him into bed."

Twilight nodded and closed her eyes. The dimly light room was filled with a cascading aura of violet light. Slowly the pegasus was lifted into the air. Shards of glass and wood fell to the ground feebly as the pegasus was hoisted to the loft. Twilight walked up stairs as a sky blue light joined hers, Rarity had pulled the blanket back on Twilight's bed and Twilight carefully set the colt down on the soft mattress.

Confused and concerned, the ponies left to the downstairs portion of Twilight's home. The doctor had left and a stranger was now in their midst. The friends spent the rest of the night in silence as a somber air filled the room. Spike was lying by the fire place with Rarity. Flames gently licked the sides of the stone walls. Rarity nudged closer to Spike’s side, falling into a deep slumber protected, by her draconic guardian. Spike looked down and gently stroke Rarity’s mane, he smiled to himself and closed his eyes, trying to forget everything except her. His gem, his crush for so long, his Rarity. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were lying a corner together sharing quiet whispers of the night and Rainbow Dash’s brashness. Quietly, the consoled each other and forgave Rainbow for her actions. Owlisious hooted silently outside the hollow confines of the tree, adding a mysterious, lonely feel to the ruined evening.

Twilight spent the rest of the night in the observatory, pondering the recent events that had transpired. She looked to the stars, bathing in their somber glow. She struggled to forget what had happened but her mind kept swimming. Twilight turned to the Everfree forest, the storm was dying out. The trees of the primordial forest swathed gently back and forth in the tails of the monstrous storm. Dull blips of lightening sparsely populated the clouds above the trees and every few seconds the dull thrum of thunder found its way into Ponyville. Twilight found it strangely comforting.

Her mind exploded in thought. Why did the Everfree forest bring this stranger to us? Why now? She groaned and collapsed to the ground.

With her eyes closed, she focused on what was around her. The rustling of leaves, paired with the constant drone of nocturnal insects mesmerized her. She opened her eyes to the alabaster glow of the moon and sighed. It was a shame that she couldn’t enjoy such a peaceful night. The moonlight filled the air in a delicate blanket of wonder, kissing the surface of the ground forcing the dew on the grass into s shimmering spectacle that rivaled the night stars. The lakes and ponds were mirrors to the beauty of the celestial sky. Gentle breezes of wind caressed Twilight's feathers and fur. She shivered slightly but welcomed the cooling breeze. Far off in the distance she could hear the howling of Timberwolves and an unfamiliar buzzing sound. She dismissed the buzzing and howling and rested her head on her hooves. Entranced by the beauty of the eventide, she slept.

A few hours later, Applejack was still attempting to track down Rainbow Dash. The impenetrable veil of the night made Applejack's objective nearly impossible to complete. Eventually, she found herself in the forests. Dead leaves littered the sides of a slightly worn path, and the snapping of twigs could be heard the unforgiving depths of the forest. Her mind played tricks on her as shadows moved ahead of her in spastic patterns, darting left and right. Strange chittering noises echoed through the forest as branches creaked in the blackness.

Applejack treaded carefully. She could feel the rough terrain below her weave up and down as tree roots and pot holes littered the path in front of her. Her heart raced as she proceeded farther into the foreboding land. The chittering was louder now, it seemed to follow her, watching her every move. She quickened her pace, hoping to escape the strange echoes.
"Oh, horse-feathers Rainbow. Where've you gone off to now?" Up ahead, Applejack could see a clearing. "Oh, thank Celestia!"

Applejack galloped forward into a small grove. Surrounded on all sides, the grove had an unnatural feel to it. It was so isolated from everywhere else. Applejack was in a state of wonder as the tranquil air enveloped her. Fireflies littered the air, their natural luminescence, complimented by the pale light of the moon gave the grove a greenish, white hue. A quiet dabbling could be heard near the further edge of the grove.

Cautiously, Applejack proceeded forward. The grass was deeper here, reaching up to Applejack’s fetlocks. The grass was moist with dew which glinted in the moonlight giving the whole ground a twinkling appearance. This grove seemed alien. It was unnaturally peaceful, cool breezes caressed the land and the grass swayed back and forth slowly. Time seemed to move slower here, keeping in time with the sway of the grass and the riotous rhythm of the brook like some sort of natural metronome.
The cool brook babbled quietly and small fish darted beneath its turbulent surface. The serene chirp of crickets filled the air. Paired with the babbling of the brook, the rustling of the trees, and the swish of the grass beneath Applejack’s hooves, the grove seemed alive with a dulcet symphony.
The grove had pulled Applejack into a trance, for a moment she had forgotten the world beyond the boundaries of the grove. In this place, no conflict existed; no mysterious stranger, no Sweet Apple Acres. Not a single care in the world.
The rough voice of Rainbow Dash disrupted the silence and drew Applejack out of her harmonic trance.

“Applejack? What are you doing here?” Rainbow Dash’s voice was laden with sadness. Thinking back on the events that took place at the library, Dash found herself in a state of regret due to what she had said to Pinkie Pie.
Applejack shook her head found herself back in the real world. She looked up and found Dash lying on a small cloud looking down to her. Dash’s tail swished gently back and forth. Her chromatic colors muddled by the dark expanse of the night sky.

“Sorry Rainbow, I was coming to find you and found myself in this here grove and just…lost myself.” Applejacks words trailed off as she turned back to the captivating beauty of the grove. “What is this place?

Dash took notice to Applejack’s fascination of her surroundings. “Beautiful isn’t it?”
Applejack nodded in wonder.

“Scootaloo and I found it a few months back while I was helping her learn how to fly.” Dash smiled as she thought back to her lesson with her adoptive sister. "She was try to get off the ground when a gust of wind threw her from the cliff up there.” Dash’s eyes pointed to a nearby cliff face. The cliff was nearly four hundred feet from the ground and about a tenth of a mile away. The sheer face of the cliff was an intimidating sight to look at. Jagged rocks jutted out from the cliff face like daggers reaching towards the sky.

Applejacks eyes were filled with awe at the prospect of the inexperienced flyer plummeting to the ground below.
“She fell?” Applejack inquired. Dash simply nodded coolly.

“It wasn’t that big of a deal, I caught her. A fall like that for a pegasus is expected in youth.”

This idea seemed baffling to Applejack. She thought back to when Applebloom fell from the railing of her tree house. Even then Applejack was in a panic. Applebloom had only fell from eight feet or so. Her heart sank at the thought of a filly falling from four hundred feet. Applejack brought herself back to the present. She looked to her friend.
"Rainbow what happened back there. You totally snapped on Pinkie Pie. What for?" Applejack's voice was lined with anger. She didn't like having to talk to her friend like this, but she had to get her point across.

Rainbow Dash hung her head low resting her chin of a small outcropping of cloud that jutted out. "I'm sorry, but it's not okay to make a joke out of something that serious."

"You mean the crash?"

" Yes, exactly! A crash like that is no laughing matter for a pegasus!" Dash's voice was over come with anger. Almost like she was blaming Pinkie Pie for the crash.

“How in tarnation was Pinkie Pie supposed to know that Rainbow, and did you even realize that you nearly knocked Fluttershy over when you left?!” Applejack yelled. "How could you be that inconsiderate to your friends? Pinkie Pie isn't a pegasus, and she's used to seeing you crash, and you act like its never a big deal!"

Dash’s eyes widened with regret. “No, I didn’t even see her…I-I’m sorry, it’s just…It’s something that hits close to home okay.” Dash turned away aggressively Applejack could tell that Rainbow Dash was hiding something.

Applejack looked inquisitively at Rainbow Dash. Her voice was much calmer now. Filled with concern rather than anger. “Rainbow, what happened? You can tell me. You know that right? Applejack could hear a small sniffle from the dreary pegasus.

Dash closed her eyes tightly as tears started down her face. “Just please, promise me you won’t tell anypony else.”

“I promise sugar cube, no please come down here and talk to me.”

With a sniffle, Dash glided down next to her friend. She sat just in front of Applejack and took a deep breath, composing herself.
“My father died when I was very young.” Dash choked the words out between fits of silent sobbing. Applejacks face saddened. She had no idea that Dash had suffered such a tragedy when she was just a filly. Applejack remained silent, only listening. “My father was a member of the Cloudsdale Sky Watch. Kinda like a volunteer police force. One night he was doing rounds over the market place while my mother and I were making dinner. The weather ponies had a storm planned for the night but my father still insisted that he complete his rounds. He said he’d been back in a few minutes.” Dash’s eyes were beginning to fill with tears again. Her emotions swelled with sadness and anger. “He said he’d be right back!” Dash continued to sob, Applejack embraced Rainbow Dash and consoled the sky blue pegasus.

“Shhhhh, hush now sugar cube. It’s okay darlin’ I’m right here.” Applejack simply let the pegasus sob, burying her face farther into Applejack chest.

After a few minutes Rainbow Dash sat up, withdrawing her face from Applejack’s caring embrace. She dried the tear stains around her eyes and composed herself once more.

“Thanks Applejack.” Dash said quietly, her voice almost a whisper.

“Anytime Rainbow.” Applejack smiled and waited for the rest of her friend’s story.

Dash took a deep breath and continued. “The storm picked up a few minutes after my father left. As soon as we finished dinner there was a knock at the door.” Dash hung her head and looked to the ground. She closed her eyes as a single tear fell to the ground. “My mom told me to go to my room. Once I got to my room I heard my mom start to cry. She was screaming, ‘No, no it can’t be!’ Once my mom went to bed I followed the pony who was at our door. I regretted it immediately.”
Dash looked up to Applejack. She stared straight into her eyes. “My father lost control in a huge gust of wind and crashed into a shop. The doctors said that he would of survived, but the glass from the shop window had cut him and he bled out before the medical ponies could get to him.

“I had no idea...” Applejack said compassionately.

Dash cleared her throat and dried her eyes before replying. “No pony does except Fluttershy.” Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had always shared a special bond with each other. A bond that, at one time, exceeded the boundaries of platonic friendship, but that was a long time ago. Secretly the thought still hurt Dash in a way that no one else could. She shook her head as her mind flew back to Fluttershy in the doorway. Dash's heart ached with regret, Fluttershy was now one of Dash’s closest friends. How could I have treated her in such a way? “I have to apologize to her.”

“Rainbow, it’s late, they’re probably all asleep.”

“Ya, you’re right. I think I’m going to stay here. I’m too tired to fly home.” She yawned.

Applejack looked to the dark expanse of the forest and shuddered. “Would’ja mind if I just stayed here tonight? I’m pretty beat too and don’t feel much like walkin’ back to Sweet Apple Acres.”

Dash chuckled quietly. “What? You scared?”

“No! I ain’t afraid of no pony!”

“Defensive much?”

“Can I stay here or not?”

“You’re always welcome here Applejack just try to keep it under your hat would ya? I don’t want ponies pouring in to Scootaloo’s grove.”

“Scootaloo’s grove?” Applejack asked

“Ya, Scoots named it when we found it a few months ago and it just kinda stuck. Anyway, I’m hitting the hay… err clouds rather.”
“Goodnight Rainbow, see you in the morning.”

The two ponies were asleep in seconds. The beautiful tranquility of the grove lulled the friends into a deep, dreamless slumber. Little did they know, that on the outer edge of the grove a pair of green eyes were watching, waiting.

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nodamnbrakes

nodamnbrakes #1 · Apr 22nd, 2014 · 1 · ·

*walks in*

Hey guys! What's goin' on in this thr--

When a brave stallion finds himself in Ponyville

*turns around and walks out*

SilverWingDashie

SilverWingDashie #2 · Apr 22nd, 2014 · · ·

Yes, there is an OC in this story but its not all about him. The story is more from Twilight's perspective. He's move of an influential side character.

4271221

nodamnbrakes